Conservation of Threatened and Under-Represented Species of Plants

Abstract

This chapter highlights some of the most important discussions on the ecological significances and conservation needs of the threatened species of plants in Bhutan that prioritizes 13 critically endangered, 20 endangered, and 15 vulnerable and the under-represented or lesser known bryophytes and the timber species of Bhutan. As assessed in the previous chapter, a total of 35 vascular plants species were either critically endangered or endangered with extinction that warrant immediate conservation actions, comprising ten species in Orchidaceae, three species in Asclepiadaceae, two species in Papaveraceae, two species in Rosaceae, two species in Scrophulariaceae, and one species each in the following families: Acanthaceae, Rubiaceae, Schisandraceae, Actinidiaceae, Aquifoliaceae, Boraginaceae, Cyperaceae, Fabaceae, Hypericaceae, Labiatae, Polygonaceae, Primulaceae, Solanaceae, Taxaceae, Thymelaeaceae, and Valerianaceae. A monolytic species Brugmansia suaveolens (an herb) also known as Datura suaveolens under the family Solanaceae is considered extinct as discussed earlier; and the extinction of such species appears to be driven by low genetic diversity (Spielman D, Brook BW, Frankham R. Most species are not driven to extinction before genetic factors impact them. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 101(42): 15261–15264, 2004). However, there are reports from India that some species that were considered possibly extinct actually re-emerged in different locations, even after some 80 years of the plant having been presumed extinct (Yadav SR, Chandore AN, Nimbalkar MS, Gurav RV. Reintroduction of Hubbardia heptaneuron Bor, a critically endangered endemic grass in Western Ghats. Curr Sci 96(7): 879–880, 2009). Such records certainly provide possibilities of re-emergence of the one extinct orchid species Eulophia stenopetala Lindl and the other narcotic species (extinct in wild) normally used as ornamental plant Brugmansia suaveolens (Willdenow) Berchtold & Presl. The extinct orchid species used to be found in the dry hills of Thinleygang area in Punakha District at 1800 m elevation used to be flowering in May (Pearce NR, Cribb PJ. The orchids of Bhutan: flora of Bhutan volume 3 part 3. Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and Royal Government of Bhutan, Edinburgh and Thimphu, p 57, 2002), while the species that is extinct in wild, Brugmansia suaveolens (Willdenow) Berchtold & Presl, used to be located in southern Bhutan at low elevation and subtropical climate, previously spotted in Samchi District Chipuwa Khola) and Sarbhang District in Surey village of Geylegphu area (Grierson AJC, David Long DG. Flora of Bhutan volume 2, part 3. RBGE and RBG, Edinburgh and Thimphu, p 1068, 2001).

Annexures

Annexure 7.1: Most Commonly Used Timber Species (Source: FRMD/DoFPS)

S.N.	Scientific name
1	Abies densa
2	Betula alnoides
3	Betula utilis
4	Juniperus recurva
5	Michelia champaca
6	Morus laevigata
7	Picea spinulosa
8	Pinus roxburghii
9	Pinus wallichiana
10	Shorea robusta
11	Tectona grandis
12	Tsuga dumosa

Annexure 7.2: High-Value Timber with Less Utilization (Source: FRMD/DoFPS)

S.N.	Scientific name	S.N.	Scientific name
1	Acer campbellii	41	Persea glaucescens
2	Acer laevigatum	42	Persea odoratissima
3	Acer oblongum	43	Phoebe attenuate
4	Acer thomsonii	44	Phoebe goalparensis
5	Ailanthus excels	45	Phoebe hainesiana
6	Ailanthus grandis	46	Phoebe lanceolata
7	Ailanthus integrifolia	47	Phoebe sp.
8	Ailanthus integrifolia subsp. calycina	48	Populus ciliata
9	Albizia lebbeck	49	Populus glauca
10	Albizia lucidior	50	Populus sp.
11	Albizia odoratissima	51	Prunus bracteopadus
12	Albizia procera	52	Prunus carmesina
13	Alnus nepalensis	53	Prunus cerasoides
14	Beilschmiedia bhutanica	54	Prunus nepalensis
15	Beilschmiedia dalzellii	55	Prunus rufa
16	Beilschmiedia gammieana	56	Quercus glauca
17	Beilschmiedia roxburghiana	57	Quercus griffithii
18	Beilschmiedia sikkimensis	58	Quercus lamellosa
19	Betula alnoides	59	Quercus lanata
20	Betula utilis	60	Quercus oblongata
21	Bombax ceiba	61	Quercus oxyodon
22	Castanopsis hystrix	62	Quercus semecarpifolia
23	Castanopsis indica	63	Schima wallichii
24	Castanopsis lanceifolia	64	Sterculia sp.
25	Castanopsis sp.	65	Sterculia villosa
26	Castanopsis tribuloides	66	Sterculia vilosa
27	Cryptomeria japonica	67	Symplocos cochinchinensis
28	Cupressus torulosa	68	Symplocos dryophila
29	Daphniphyllum himalayense	69	Symplocos glauca
30	Daphniphyllum sp.	70	Symplocos glomerata
31	Duabanga grandiflora	71	Symplocos lucida
32	Engelhardia spicata	72	Symplocos paniculata
33	Exbucklandia populnea	73	Terminalia alata
34	Exbucklandia sp.	74	Terminalia arjuna
35	Macaranga denticulata	75	Terminalia bellirica
36	Macaranga pustulata	76	Terminalia bialata
37	Macaranga sp.	77	Terminalia catappa
38	Persea bootanica	78	Terminalia chebula
39	Persea clarkeana	79	Terminalia myriocarpa
40	Persea fructifera	80	Terminalia paniculata
		81	Terminalia procera